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The parents of a Carver Middle School student were arrested last week after they went to the school to confront officials about bullying.

An incident report provided by Springfield Public Schools says the confrontation began just before 9 a.m. May 8 after the couple’s daughter went to the school office reporting she had been bullied.

The report indicates the school’s police officer had no knowledge of past bullying incidents involving the girl.

The officer learned the parents were going to pick the girl up from school when someone shouted that they needed her in the main office.

“I ran towards the office and could see through the window that a white male subject, later identified as (redacted) was towering over (redacted) and directly in his face in what I perceived to be a threatening manner. . . Craig had his back towards the window and was shaking his head aggressively. . .” officer Debra Hickey wrote in her report.

According to the report, Craig and Christina Campbell had arrived to speak with officials about the bullying and threatening behavior of other students against their daughter, but the situation quickly deteriorated.

“I put my hands up and gave him loud, repetitive verbal commands to “get back”. Craig slapped at my hands and then pushed me with both of his hands on my upper torso,” the report said.

During the confrontation, the school was on a brief lockdown. The report details how some students who were in the office and in the nearby gym were quickly moved elsewhere.

“Craig and Christina continued to yell and scream very loudly about their daughter’s situation using many profane words. Christina stepped into the hallway and confronted (redacted). . . I told Craig he was disturbing the peace of the people in the building and he had to leave. He stated he would not leave without his son. . .. I told Craig he needed to exit the building now or I would place him under arrest for a peace disturbance. He did not leave, and I again called for backup,” the report said.

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Craig Campbell continued to ignore the officer’s commands, the report said, until the officer threatened to use pepper spray.

Then both parents walked out of the school, and Craig Campbell told his wife to leave before she got arrested.

“Christina and the two little children were in the car when Christina pulled away from the curb at a high rate of speed, causing the tires to squeal very loudly,” the report said.

Craig Campbell was booked in Greene County Jail with records showing officers plan to try to prove peace disturbance and assault on a law enforcement officer. Greene County records show Christina Campbell was arrested and booked in the jail later that same day. Both were released shortly thereafter. No formal charges were apparently filed as of Tuesday.

Multiple attempts to contact the Campbells were unsuccessful.

Reacting to the incident, Springfield Public Schools released this statement:

“We encourage parents to be engaged in their students’ education and welcome them when they visit our schools or contact us with questions or concerns. During these interactions, it is critical that all parties express themselves in a civil and respectful manner. On May 8, two parents visited Carver Middle School at the beginning of the school day and unfortunately chose to express their concerns in a threatening manner. Their actions were perceived as assault on staff members.

“To resolve the situation, it was necessary for school police to respond. While working to resolve this situation, as a precaution, the school was locked down for about 20 minutes. This was done to prevent further disruption to students and staff caused by the escalating incident. Due to the assault on school staff, school police officers arrested one of the parents at that time. The second parent was arrested later that day.

“It is always our goal to work cooperatively with parents to address their concerns but we also have a responsibility to protect the safety of our students, staff and the community. When we feel a situation presents a potential threat to that safety we will take action to protect those individuals entrusted to our care.”